An Interview About Me, By Me
An Interview About Me, By Me
Wether I am sitting at the gallery front desk talking to fellow artists and passers by, or chatting with people at a show like IDS Vancouver, I always get asked the same types of questions. What inspires you? (see my last blog post to discover the answer to this). What do you paint? Tell me about your process!! Etc etc etc.
It is so amazing that people genuinely find it fascinating that I get to create art for a living and that they want to take time out of their busy day to get to know me and what I do.
So here’s an interview about me, by me. Just a couple of questions that seem to pop up regularly and answers I thought you might find interesting. So here we go!
For those that know nothing about you, give us a little introduction about who you are and what you do.
My name is Donna Giraud and I am an acrylic abstract painter. I currently help run an artist run gallery in Yaletown called The Space An Art Gallery and I have been painting for 18 years. My work is very textural, often thought of looking like west coast landscapes and my work is greatly inspired by my world travels. I grew up on the North Shore and never thought that I would end up being an artist. I am a National Gold medal winning college soccer player, my first profession was a nurse at St Paul’s Hospital for 15 years but as of almost two years ago, I gave up my license to become a full time painter. I currently teach the best dam paint night paint class in the city (Paint with Donna) and I have artwork hanging in residential and commercial spaces all over North America. I just turned 40 years old and I am currently in the process of figuring out what is next.
What is your favorite thing about being an artist?
Naturally I want to say that my favorite thing about being an artist is that I get to explore my emotions and thoughts in a creative way and make pieces of art that inspire and move people. But if I have to choose the very best thing about being an artist is the fact that I get to create what each day looks like. Yes I have obligations and deadlines, but I get to decide how all that unravels. I have only myself to answer to and with that comes great freedom. Sometimes I get up in the morning with the intention of spending the whole day in the studio painting, but then find myself binge watching a whole season of Queer Eye instead. Typically, most bosses wouldn’t find this productive or appropriate, but sometimes I give myself permission to do those kind of things. I have lists, I have plans, I have schedules with appointment that all get done in an organized and professional manner, but there is nothing better than designing a day exactly how you want.
What is the hardest thing about being an artist?
The hardest thing about being an artist is actually the same answer as above. Having freedom creates the perfect opportunity for procrastination. I mentioned that it is totally ok to give yourself permission to binge watch tv once and a while, but with that comes the possibility of that becoming a regular occurrence. I have heard so many artists say this and sadly fall prey to the lack of routine. I promised myself that I wouldn’t be that norm and made it a point to be committed to my craft, to set schedules and alarms, to keep accountable, to set deadlines, to do regular check in’s with myself and surround myself with people that encourage me to keep going. I make mistakes but I am committed to keep moving forward where ever that takes me.
How do I handle criticism?
I had to learn a long time ago that I couldn’t let every negative comment or just an opinion for that matter, affect me. Appreciating art literally is the most subjective thing!! My work is not for everybody and I learned that very quickly when my dad straight up told me he didn’t like one of the pieces I created very early on in my career. Dad’s are supposed to support you and tell you everything you do is amazing. Well, that definitely didn’t happen and I have always been grateful for that moment. I realized I had to pay attention to what people were saying and take everything into consideration but not hold it too personally. Sometimes people just like to hear the sound of their own voice. Others have given me great insight that has helped me get to where I am today. But I always promised myself that I wouldn’t let the criticism get to me. If I did, it would be a very gloomy and negative life to live in and I just don’t have the space for that.
What does your art aim to say?
I have always struggled with this question. When someone asks me this, I awkwardly always feel like I need to be impressive and say something like, “This body of work depicts the inner turmoil of the…… or This work represents the shift and instability of the modern political climate.”
But the truth is, my answer is super real and simple. Each piece is always about an emotion or an experience I have had with the hope of putting a positive and calming twist on that specific emotion or experience. There are so many artists that are taking a stance on the serious topics (And I am not saying that we shouldn’t be having those conversations about the tough and serious topics) it’s just that I feel like we need some more joy and positivity in the world. I feel like I was put on the earth to create art that makes you think about the importance of kindness, finding that one thing that ignites passion in your life, encouraging connection in a fast paced technical world and or daring to dream about what your best life could be. All these topics are super relatable and I make it a point to always make people feel comfortable in front of my work. I don’t want to intimidate viewers with a stuffy artist statement. I want people to connect with regular, very day stuff and get them to feel joy when they see what I create.
How do you title your work?
In conjunction with the above answer, the titles of my work have always been one of my favorite parts of my artistic process. When I come up with the emotion or experience I want to paint about, I then write down a bunch of words that depict that emotion or experience. Once I have narrowed it down to one word, I then rearrange that words to make a new word and that becomes the title of the piece. Once people know this about my work, it becomes a game for them to try and figure out what word I have used in the title. The title then gives you insight into what the piece is about. (Click here to see my previous work and their titles. Try and figure out what word I had in mind)
Give us a little insight into Donna outside of the artist
I think a huge part of why I have managed to create a fairly successful art career is because I am not afraid to let people get to know the real me. I am an open book and feel that openness fosters better connection and leaves a lasting impression. Here are a few little fun facts about me……
Favorite color: Turquoise
Favorite beverage: White wine (Pinot Gris) (My favorite local winery is Country Vines in Richmond. Make sure you check them out!
Favorite book: Anything by Robin Sharma (eg. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari)
Marital Status: Married for 1 year, one month and 8 days to the greatest man on the planet (Paul).
Cats or Dogs?: DOGS DOGS DOSG!!!! (sorry cat lovers) 3 years ago Paul and I brought home the sweetest, most energetic maltipoo you could get your hands on. We named her Wallis (like after Wallis Simpson) and our lives have never been the same. She has taught me what unconditional love is and brings a smile to my face a hundred times a day. Best decision we have ever made. Follow Wallis on Instagram @theworldofwallis
Favorite place on earth other than Vancouver: Tanzania
A typical Sunday: Eggs on toast and coffee, a local hike in the mountains with the hubby and Wallis, wine on our patio and a good movie. That or hosting a dinner party which we do once a month.
Random fact about you: I have moved 27 times in 40 years. I love setting up new spaces and creating a home. (I just bought a home in North Vancouver with my husband and sadly he says we are never moving again but I think I am ok with this being our forever home)
For more information about what I do or to see my artwork in person, head down to my gallery in Yaletown and let’s have a chat (1063 Hamilton Street, Vancouver BC). Or if you have a burning question that you just have to ask now, send me an email and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can (info@donnagiraud.com)
